Dr. Kara Ayers to Speak on Disability Inclusion in Research

On Wednesday, April 24 from 12 to 1:30 p.m., SCTR’s Integrating Special Populations (ISP) and Translational Workforce Development (TWD) cores will host a virtual event focused on disability inclusion in research.

The event, titled “Advancing Research through the Inclusion of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities" will include a one-hour presentation from Dr. Kara Ayers, followed by a 30-minute Q&A session.

The presentation will discuss the implications of the underrepresentation of disabled people in research – as both participants and researchers – and identify approaches to combat the inequities that result from this underrepresentation.

“When we talk about inclusivity and representation in research, individuals with disabilities are often overlooked. If we’re excluding these populations on the basis of scientific rigor, are we excluding access to treatments on the clinical side too? This isn’t really testing effectiveness of certain interventions and we’re doing a huge disservice. 67% of randomized controlled trials (RCT’s) currently have exclusions for people with disabilities,” said Cristina Lopez, Ph.D., Co-Director of SCTR’s ISP program.

Participants will also learn strategies to help make their online and in-person research more accessible for and inclusive of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Disability Inclusion in Research

In working together to host this event, the ISP and TWD programs hope to shed light on an area of improvement in research, which could lead to improved recruitment strategies and outcome measures.

For example, including people with Downs Syndrome in Alzheimer’s research is paramount, because this population is at increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.

“We are excluding populations that can most likely benefit from interventions... Individuals with disabilities are also a broad umbrella of our populations, including people with intellectual disabilities and neurodivergent populations,” Lopez said.

“It’s important to discuss causes and implications of underrepresentation of disabled people in research so that we can make proper accommodations.”

Meet Dr. Kara Ayers

In addition to being an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Ayers also serves as associate director of the University of Cincinnati Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, director of the National Center for Disability, Equity, and Intersectionality, and co-founder of the Disabled Parenting Project.

Her research interests include disability identity/culture, healthcare equity, bioethics, community inclusion, and the use of media to teach, empower, and reduce stigma. Dr. Ayers serves on multiple task forces and national and state coalitions related to improving outcomes for people with disabilities. She infuses the mantra, "Nothing about us without us," into all her scholarly and community-based pursuits.

Register for the Event

Registration is required for the event and can be completed via REDCap.

The registration link will be sent immediately following completion of the REDCap form. Attendees may register after the event begins and still receive a link. For registration questions, please contact Kristen Briggman.